Course overview
Film is one of the main cultural innovations of the 20th century and a major art form of the last hundred years. Students who study film will be encouraged to develop a high degree of enthusiasm and excitement for what is a powerful and culturally significant medium, inspiring a wide range of responses from the emotional to the reflective. Film Studies offers the opportunity to investigate how films work both as form of representation and also as an aesthetic medium.
How many hours per week?
Teaching contact time is 4 hours and 20 minutes per subject. Other workshops will be available throughout the year including over some holiday periods. Students are expected to spend a minimum 4 hours of independent study to complete assignments, homework, extra reading and independent research
Entry requirements?
The Level Three Foundation Programme has a consistent set on entry requirements for each course. Students are required to have already achieved a of 4,4,3 at level 2 (GCSE or equivalent
Exam board
Eduqas https://www.eduqas.co.uk/qualifications/film-studies-gcse
Why study this course?
Film is often considered as the most important art form in the 20th Century. Films educate us, and provoke debate. In this course you will gain a greater understanding of all aspects of film and filmmaking. You will analyse how the films are constructed and the messages that they communicate as well as creating practical work.
What will I learn?
Component 1 – Key developments in US film Three US films have been chosen for this component: one pair of mainstream films for comparison and one independently produced film.
The mainstream films are:
• Rear Window (Hitchcock, USA, 1954), PG
• Witness (Weir, USA, 1984), 15
The independent film is:
• Whiplash (Chazelle, USA, 2014), 15
Component 2 – Global film: narrative, representation and film style Three films are studied in this component, including an English language film, a global non-English language film and a contemporary UK film (produced since 2010).
The three films are:
• Slumdog Millionaire (Boyle, UK, 2008), 15
• The Wave (Gansel, Germany, 2001), 15
• Brooklyn (Crowley, UK, 2015), 12A
What skills will I develop?
You will develop a wide range of skills including
• Exploration, and analysis of film
• The ways in which meanings and responses are generated through film
• A contrasting, culturally diverse range of films from different national contexts
• Film as an aesthetic medium
• The relationship between film and film technology over time
• How films reflect the social, cultural and political contexts in which they are made
How will I be taught?
The course will be taught using a variety of techniques and approaches. This will involve contextually informative lectures, film screenings, as well as a variety of practical production activities.
Classroom activities will include:
• Viewing short film sequences to demonstrate technical features; such as cinematography, mise-en-scène, editing, sound, lighting and performance.
• The screening of key films and the study of approaches to analysis.
• Group and class discussion on the process of formulating conflicting meanings and responses.
• Developing technical production skills for Component 3 (practical application).
• Screenwriting, camera techniques, lighting, editing and sound production tutorials.
• Developing research methods and understanding of the key theoretical approaches.
How will I be assessed?
The course will be assessed by two exams (70%) and a practical coursework module (30%)
Where will this course take me?
The course will give you access to a fulltime Level 3 programme. A number of students decide to take up a related Level 3 course such as A-Level Film Studies, BTEC Creative Media or A-Level Media.
Staff contact details
David Rowland David.Rowland@ke6n.ac.uk